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Visitors air comments at Jay Twp. meeting

Several visitors aired their concerns and thoughts on numerous issues during Thursday evening’s Jay Township Supervisors meeting.Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Daniel was in attendance at the meeting and said there have been no new trends occurring within the township that residents should be concerned about.“As always, we are trying to get township input about any problems,” Daniel said.He noted that activity has began in relation to Marcellus Shale activity, specifically truck traffic. Daniel said PSP’s FracNet is a program in which troopers specializing in vehicle inspection target trucks to make sure they are in safe operating condition.Daniel explained that troopers cannot perform such inspections daily due to limited resources, but said the program has been successful in the county.Local residents Rena Sherwood and Helen DeCarli reported heavy truck traffic near their homes on Grey Hill and Smith Hill roads, where on the latter trucks may often be found unloading heavy equipment which is prohibited on that specific road. They said that often this results in the trucks blocking the road because they are parked in the middle of the road. They reported that it typically takes between 1-2 hours to unload the equipment each time, which occurs twice a week.The women added that the trucks also drag mud onto the road. They were also concerned with the trucks’ high rate of speed and frequency on the road, specifically because children wait for the buses in the morning while it is dark along the roadway.Daniel and the supervisors explained the trucking companies are responsible for any damage done to the road, including the deposit of mud. “These companies are responsible for the degradation of the road beyond any average wear and tear,” Daniel said.Supervisor and Roadmaster Murray Lilley said the township has the same road bonding procedures as the state.Another resident inquired about water sampling in which they were advised by a fellow resident, who had testing done on her property for $125. One resident encouraged those concerned with the impact of gas drilling in the area to see the movie “Gasland,” playing on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. at Ridgway Area High School. The movie focuses on the nation’s newest gas-drilling boom and various aspects about the impact it will have.For more on this story, see the November 22 edition of The Daily Press.